As more large companies start investing in Big Data, those benefits will trickle down, even if not in direct forms such as publications or results. The technology created to support such analysis will most likely be available to smaller companies in some form, if not immediately, eventually in some sort of licensing. I think what youG«÷ll end up seeing is a consortium of smaller offices polling data together to make some sort of meaningful use out of it. That or the government will step in and try to pool data. When the technology becomes readily available, the speed at which the findings become published, peer reviewed and verified will increase as well. The 5-10 year figure will most definitely drop.

I would say that big data has even moved beyond frontier. Big Data is a necessity for most larger business, and even for the little guys. The mom and pop Dr. or smaller practice might not be using big data analytics, but are those practices still around? Let's say that they exist, they still need to stay updated on the changes in their field, just like we all do. Maybe the group practice is not publishing the study, but they are benefiting from by reading it in a journal or the internet (We are assuming these practices have access to the internet). They are also benefiting from the big data analytics that the pharma companies are using. Big data not only makes information available, but it does it fast so that it can be spread out faster, there is no longer the 2 month trickle down time frame. http://www.actian.com/solution...

James, thanks for your comments. My point was not that big data analytics is fiction. I too believe it's a frontier. As I say in the column:

"That's not to suggest that such analysis shouldn't play a role in healthcare reform. But all the big data in the world isn't going to give us a substantial ROI if hospitals and individual practitioners continue to be rewarded for the quantity rather than quality of care they provide."

My point is the healthcare system should put other priorities ahead of such analysis.

Respectfully I would have to disagree with the premise of this piece. Big Data is frontier not fiction. Your article does nothing to address the fundamental benefit of Big Data or Analytics to the healthcare industry, namely, "Outlier Detection." Keeping track of healthcare statistics in real time within a given region, disease or section of the population, allows you to monitor in real time, norms and data points outside the norms. If survival rates for a particular cancer are trending up in one area, over the norm for all areas; the best practice of that area can be adopted by the rest and the survival rate of all increases. On the operational side of things, hospitals' financials could be monitored in real time. Outliers from the norm, on the good and bad side, can be readily identified and either fixed or learned from, to the benefit of all.

Your view of Big Data tends to equate it with a car's spare tire, implying that one may never need to use it and that it should just stay locked up in the trunk. Big Data on the other hand is more like a car's headlights. They allow you to drive at night, with speed and with safety. Headlights blow away the darkness in front of you enabling you to make more informed decisions about the direction of your vehicle. Without big data, one's ability to correct or improve the healthcare industry would be like trying to drive 60 miles an hour down a side road, at night, with no headlights.

As for that check out girl at the supermarket? Big data improves the productivity of all companies who adopt it by 5% - 6% per year. This should eventually lead to lower costs of providing healthcare and lower costs to her for health insurance. That's the benefit.

As for the car mechanic and his wife? They might be a little less well off, for there would be fewer drivers zipping around without headlights, fewer accidents and hence fewer car repairs requiring his services. This might cost him some immediate repair income. However, his ride home should be a little bit safer.

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